Our team is built on individuals with various backgrounds in the criminal justice field.

Keilah Joyner is a Program Associate with the Center for Effective Public Policy (CEPP). She supports training, technical assistance, stakeholder engagement, and project implementation efforts across a range of justice system initiatives. Ms. Joyner contributes to CEPP’s gender equity work, including the Supervision Agency Gender-Responsive Evaluation (SAGE), helping jurisdictions advance gender-responsive policies and practices that improve outcomes for women and girls impacted by the justice system. She also co-leads CEPP’s domestic violence and intimate partner violence (DV/IPV) system portfolio, as well as initiatives that expand access to education, employment, and digital opportunities for justice-impacted individuals through projects such as the Justice Policy Coding Lab and Expanding Digital Pathways to Education and Employment. 

Ms. Joyner has worked in different capacities in the criminal justice system and on criminal justice policy for the last decade, helping to guide projects from concept to execution. Previously, she held positions with the Florida Commission on Offender Review, where she analyzed data to identify trends in crime, prepared case information to inform parole and probation decisions, and provided guidance on the restoration of civil rights. She has worked with nonprofit organizations, including Ayuda and the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, to provide operational, programmatic, and research support. Additionally, Ms. Joyner has served in a direct service capacity with girls in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, helping them to overcome barriers, access resources, and pursue opportunities for long-term stability and positive life outcomes. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Hampton University, a Master of Science in criminology, and a Master of Public Administration from Florida State University.